Hot melt adhesive systems have many applications in manufacturing and packaging. For example, thermoplastic hot melt adhesives are used for carton and case sealing, tray forming, pallet stabilization, nonwoven applications including diaper manufacturing, and many other applications. Hot melt adhesives are typically produced in the form of adhesive “solids,” which include solid or semi-solid pellets and/or particulates. These hot melt adhesive solids are transferred to a melter where the hot melt adhesive solids are melted into a molten liquid form at a desired application temperature. The liquid hot melt adhesive is ultimately dispensed at the application temperature to an object such as a work piece, substrate or product by a dispensing device suitable to the manufacturing or packaging application. Despite the success of such systems, there are drawbacks. For example, the adhesive solids are prone to clumping together, which prevents the solids from being transferred into the melter. Current methods for avoiding clumping or sticking together of adhesive are limited, and/or add complexity to the already complicated systems.
Moreover, meeting demand for adhesive dispensing devices often requires a large amount of molten adhesive to be maintained in the melter. Where some portions of the molten adhesive remain in the melter for extended periods of time, the liquid adhesive may degrade or become charred, thus affecting the quality of the adhesive bonding qualities of the liquid adhesive. There is therefore a need to address these and other issues in the art.